| Title | : | It Calls From The Forest: Volume Two |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1777041090 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781777041090 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 414 |
| Publication | : | First published July 30, 2020 |
They warned us not to enter, but we didn't listen. The call too strong to ignore. And now there is no one left to save us.
Beware, these things within the forest will rip out your heart and devour your soul. You will tremble as they revel in your madness, taking everything from you and leaving you with nothing. Delve inside this anthology of what truly lurks within the shadows of the trees.
Eerie River Publishing brings you another round of exceptional horror by award-winning authors from around the globe.
It Calls From The Forest: Volume Two Reviews
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It Calls From The Forest: Volume 2 is an exceptional collection of more than 20 horror stories that will shock, scare and creep you out.
The anthology kicks off with the fantastic and atmospheric “I Speak For The Trees”, and the quality of stories remains high throughout the book. The stories are varied and creative, and serve up genuine scares. There’s something here for all horror fans.
My favourites were: “A Debt Owed” by Kimberly Rei, “Dating in Murderville” by V. A. Vazquez, “King of the Forest” by Amber M. Simpson, “Between the Trees” by Dustin Walker, “Hallowed Ground” by A.G. Hilton”, and “When Called” by David Kenney. -
I read volume one and jumped into two! This anthology showcases many indie authors with a focus of horror among the trees. Each story is diverse and brings a twist of fears. The diversity of the stories in this volume range from possibility to monsters to witches and more.
Anthologies have always been tough to review since there are multiple authors and varying experiences between stories. I rated each story individually and based on personal opinion. There were some that left me wanting more and there are some that fell flat...
Highlighting those that were my favorites - “The Bog Feeders” by Eryn Hiscock...“Dating in Murderville” by V. A. Vazquez...is about a YouTube influencer whose work is making dirty fetish serial killer mockumentaries. She hires a tinder date to reenact a serial strangler in the woods for her next episode. The next day tinder date is dead and her wild night was with the real deal. “Between The Trees” by Dustin Walker - I loved this one! Single dad and young daughter go to the cliffs to take pictures as a storm rolls in and she drops her camera as she runs off toward the adjacent beach. They look at pictures and find out they’re visit is forever. “The Calm” by James Dorr was wonderfully written. I loved the historical aspect and twist. Saved the best for last, “Propagate” by Cameron Ulam. My favorite out of all of these stories. I’m a sucker for stories with kids, especially if it’s done right and gives you the creeps. This tale gripped you from beginning to end and I wanted more!
"It Calls From the Forest: Volume 2” overall brings another fun variety of imagination surrounding the theme. There were more stories in this collection that I thoroughly enjoyed compared to the first volume. More than half the stories were well 4+ stars!
4 out of 5 stars!
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Please visit my GoodReads profile for more reviews! Thank you! -
What could be even more awesome than 'It Calls From The Forest vol 1' horror anthology? Volume 2 of course 🖤🤘
The lovely people of Eerie River Publishing, upped the kindness by sending me a copy of 'It Calls From The Forest vol 2' for review.
Volume 2 packs 25 slabs of horror that take you on a wild ride in the forest. What lurks there will keep you at the edge of your seat as you will devour one delicious story after the other.
Discover what happens when you disrupt the ways of the forest in "I Speak for the Trees" by Donna J. W. Munroby.
Get dead scared by "The Thousand-Eyed Stag", the terrifying monster in Syd Richardson's story.
Enjoy a premium ecogical horror story in lan Ableson's "The Heralding" (oh how I wish this would become a novella) and feel for the Forest.
Then, dive deep in "The Bog Feeders" by Eryn Hiscock an otherwise intriguing story about.. Karma..
Meet my two favorite stories. Those that, to my taste, stood out.1)Ville Merilainen's "Spirit of the Forest" reminded me of 'The Thing', as the whole setting and the monster of the story hit all the right spots. (I nearly screamed out loud kill it, kill it with fire). 2)"When Called" by David Kenney is unique and creepy to the core. The story really packs a serious punch, one that comes right in the gut when messing with the shadows...
There are so much more calling from the Forest. Dear reader there are ghosts, cults, creatures beyond the level of terrifying, weird rituals, evil men, women caught in the grip of tradition, murder, gore, bears and monsters monsters monsters.
What more would a horror story lover ask for?
Get 'It Calls From The Forest vol 2' now, stack it with volume 1 and you are set for an awesome autumn period leading up to Halloween. -
There is evil in the woods and it wants you dead.
I read Volume I of this series this past April; apparently, Eerie River received so many great submissions for their call-out that they released two volumes of It Calls from the Forest within months of each other! Seeing as I loved the first volume, I was certainly not complaining when they informed me of the news several months back. Now, I have the second installment and – while it doesn’t hit as many strong chords as the debut – it’s packed with worthy content.
As I like to do with anthologies, I will just focus on the stories that were highlighted during my reading experience. What follows are the notes I jotted down as I went along (some of which are shorter/longer than others):
“I Speak for the Trees” by Donna J. W. Munro – This was an interesting and entertaining parody of the Lorax story (Dr. Seuss), with a gruesome ending that brought to mind that of The Stranger (by Steve Sted).
“The Thousand-Eyed Stag” by Syd Richardson – Great monster!
“The Bog Feeders” by Eryn Hiscock – I think there’s good potential here for a novel. A short story doesn’t do the premise justice.
“Those Things We Cannot See” by Lex Vranick – My notes just say that I really liked this one and need to look up the author (ha!).
“Atchafalaya” by A. S. Mackenzie – This was pretty good. I would like to read more of this monster.
“Hallowed Ground” by A. G. Hilton – There were some elements that confused me here, but the story felt like a good prologue for something bigger that would explore the ideas further, making them clearer.
“Spirit of the Forest” by Ville Merilainen – I enjoyed this one. It gave me that Thing vibe, being out in the snow and fighting a monster with fire.
“When Called” by David Kenney – Genuinely creepy and unnerving. This was probably a favorite for the collection!
“The Heralding” by Ian Ableson – This was a cool eco-horror story, enough so that I will be looking up the author.
Looking over my notes for all the stories involved here, I feel like this volume had a lot more entries I found “underdeveloped” or “boring” than I did the last time around. But, as you can see, I walked away with a list of new authors I would like to read more from in the future. I also came out of Volume II feeling like I’d enjoyed my time more there than with other anthologies. Eerie River does a good job in selecting the voices they feature, and I will continue to devour their anthologies for the foreseeable future.
*I received a paperback ARC from the publisher for review consideration.*
Review by Aiden Merchant (Author of Dead as Soon as Born)
www.aidenmerchant.com (Also on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon)
[email protected] (Contact for review consideration) -
Absolutely loved all of the stories in this anthology and I’m a big fan of what Eerie River put out. While I don’t like to play favourites (all of the stories are exceptional) the stand out titles are: Atchafalaya by AS Mackenzie, Survival in the Woods by McKenzie Richardson, Moths to a Flame by O. Sander and Moonshine Monster by Gina Easton.
There are many things to be scared of out there in the wilds and It Calls From the Forest brings us face to face with a wonderful, terrifying collection of them. -
Eerie River really knows how to assemble an anthology. I read It Calls from the Forest: Volume One and was super impressed by both the skill of the authors involved and the general creep factor. (I read that book four months ago, and I'm still haunted by the ending of "Knotwork Hill", so thanks for that, C.W. Blackwell.) The follow-up anthology, It Calls from the Forest: Volume Two, may be even better than the first installment.
There's something for every kind of horror reader in here. If you like Dan Simmons, you'll find his spiritual successor in Syd Richardson's "The Thousand-Eyed Stag", a historical short story about a search party looking for a missing child. (This one has the most disturbing creature in the entire anthology in my opinion!) If you like Nick Cutter, check out Ariana Ferrante's "Spots" for some fantastical body horror that will make you squirm. If you like classic Edgar Allan Poe, check out David Kenney's "When Called" for your unreliable and possibly insane narrator (who's nothing short of a delight to read and definitely makes me want to check out more of Kenney's work!). And if you like Grady Hendrix, V.A. Vazquez's "Dating in Murderville" tackles serial killers with tongue planted firmly in-cheek. All of the short stories are well-written, and while some of them might not have been in my wheelhouse, I've seen them mentioned in reviews as other people's favorites. I mean it; there's something for everyone here.
Shout-out to some other personal faves:
Dustin Walker's "Between the Trees" chilled me to the bone, especially the ending. He takes a terrifying situation (you turn your back for a few seconds, and your child disappears) and ratchets up the tension to eleven. He also leaves the most disturbing details unwritten, which allows your imagination to run wild after you're done reading. I will be thinking about that little pink camera for a long time.
My favorite stories tend to be the ones where there might not be anything supernatural happening at all. Galina Trefil's work is always a delight to read, and her contribution, "The Warning Color", focuses on how terrifying the woods can be on their own: the hikers who walk amongst the trees and the regular, everyday flora and fauna. Sometimes in horror stories, we'll start out with someone getting lost in the woods, and I'm just like: "Welp, you can stop there. You don't need monsters or murderers; thousands of people get lost in the woods and die every year, so I'm already scared." Trefil keeps her story grounded in real life, which I appreciated. Gina Easton's "Moonshadow Monster" does a masterful job of walking the tightrope between supernatural events and a folie à deux with tragic consequences. It's another one that keeps you thinking long after you've finished reading.
My absolute favorite story in Volume Two is Stuart Croskell's "A Pillywiggins for Beau Hensel". It's the very last story, and it ends the anthology on such a strong note. Again, Croskell tells a tale where there might not be anything supernatural happening, but he leaves you wishing there was because the alternative is so much more horrifying. The two main characters, Daisy and her younger brother, Beau, really tugged at my heartstrings the entire time, and Croskell does an excellent job worldbuilding this little slice of country life. I am not ashamed to admit I was sobbing by the last line. I would love to read more work by him in future anthologies.
Another excellent anthology by Eerie River. If you're going on a camping trip with friends, this is the perfect book to bring along for nights around the campfire. Tuck a flashlight under your chin, open up to a random page, and call to order this meeting of the Midnight Society. I can't wait to read their upcoming installment about all the horrors that can sweep down out of the skies! -
What horrors dwell within the woods? This eclectic blend of superlative short stories explores monsters both familiar (werewolves, ghosts, rapcacious plants) and unique (stillness, chimeras, contagion). Each author creates a complex cosmos of tension, defying expectations and delivering thrills. The scares range from a cerebral loop involving time and reflection to various visceral beasts bent on carnage and consumption.
Among the best tales are these three. "Dating in Murderville" describes an online influencer who reenacts serial killings but gets more than she bargained for. "Between the Trees" is a haunting head scratcher about a father and daughter hopelessly lost. "The Heralding" delivers an ecological message with undeniable punch.
Some might argue today's world has enough terror from Covid-19, police brutality, and an uncertain economy, but herein lies thoughtful escapism to quiet the roar of grim reality. The settings, themes, and characters are impressively diverse, and the talent of the authors obvious. -
I like that there are short stories that allow you to get pulled in without being too long and getting boring. There are cautionary tales, mystical tales, gore and supernatural things. The fun part is that some of that could be real and happen! Volume 2 certainly has been able to live up to my expectations.
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I enjoyed this book along with the previous It Calls From the Sky. Great set of original creepy horror stories involving trees and anything that could possibly be in the forest. Think twice the next time you go walking in the woods.
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Eerie River Publishing are back with Volume Two of "It Calls From the Forest," and anthology that, in my opinion, exceeds the quality of the previous entry.
The main reason for this is the variety of horror told throughout the pages. While I enjoyed Volume One, I felt a couple of stories picked tread similar ground to others but this isn't the case in Volume Two; there's gore, weird, psychological (my favourite), monsters and shades of grey.
There's a brisk pace to the anthology. It's a voluminous collection, but the stories length compliment each other and if one doesn't appeal to you, the next one surely will.
I often find it unfair to single out particular stories for praise but there are a number of standouts. I looked forward to reading V.A. Vazquez's "Dating In Murderville" after seeing the title, and it didn't disappoint; a delightfully wicked tale about the lengths people will go for likes and clicks on YouTube. "Survival In The Woods" by McKenzie Richardson is beautifully written and structured, and "The Valley Of The Shadows" by Chris Hewitt raises the tension and is well-paced.
With the first two entries in their "It Calls" series, Eerie River have set a high bar of quality. -
It Calls from the Forest v2 is packed with everything great about the first one, and more. Charismatic characters overflow the pages; vivid scenes come to life and are relatable. It’s almost as if you’re in the forest as you read each story. Even if they are at different times or places. That’s exactly how the journal starts. You are transported to a different time and place, no less vivid if it were in our current time and space. Donna J.W.Munro blasts the reader into her world-building from the outset, with I Speak for the Trees. From then on, the stories go further into madness as the trees and all its denizens come to life. From the twists of Dating in Murderville by V.A. Vazquez, rank smells of Spots by Ariana Ferrante.
I think if I had to choose my favorites, A Debt Owed by Kimberly Rei and Moths to a Flame by O. Sander would be among them. Horrific details, fresh new ideas, great pacing, draw me further into the journals already great cast of authors.
If you haven’t picked up It Calls from the Forest v2, I highly recommend you run over to Eerie River Publishing and get yourself a copy. -
The perfect escapism book for the summer.
Terrifying tales and gripping heart-wrenching stories make up this collection with over 20 new authors to discover.
A great pool of talent and a new set of indie authors to watch out for. Really enjoyed and would recommend it to anyone that loves horror in all it's flavours. -
It Calls from the Forest Volume 2 is the second in the ‘It Calls From...’ series published by Eerie River Press. It collects 26 tales from various authors and provides us all with yet more reasons to be glad we’re staying indoors. There are serial killers, weird tales of fracturing mental states, werewolves and monsters that defy description, all crawling out of the trees.
Volume 2 packs its pages with some very fine stories. I Speak for the Trees by Donna J.W. Munro gives a literal voice to the forest and asks if we would still be so destructive if we could hear what it had to say. The Thousand-Eyed Stag by Syd Richardson starts as a typical ‘monster threatening a sleepy town’ tale and becomes a gory body-horror joint in the closing pages. Dating in Murderville by V.A. Vazquez takes the ‘serial killer in the woods’ concept and breathes new life into it, underpinning the tale with effortless attention to detail and quirky dialogue.
Spirit of the Forest by Ville Merilainen is a perfect example of how the relationship between two characters can drive a story and draw a reader in. The Heralding by Ian Ableson develops the concept of a ‘Swamp Thing’ nature-monster with natural-sounding dialogue and the eerie otherworldliness of a monster that has both purpose and cold intellect. Moths to a Flame by O. Sander delivers on the mounting tension with a very unusual creature and a warning against forgetting the old mythology. A Pillywiggins for Beau Hensel by Stuart Croskell is a beautifully written finale. The tale wrongfoots the reader initially with innuendo but it is actually a story about the forlorn loss of faith in tradition.
Unfortunately, Some of the stories don’t make full use of the mythology or premise they employ. It isn’t that they’re bad stories - quite the opposite - but the tales haven’t been brought to fruition. There is also a similar problem to Volume 1 in that some of the stories are a little over-written. I would attribute this to an attempt at creating tension through a slower pace but, generally, less is more. Some of the authors in the anthology, particularly V.A. Vazquez and Stuart Croskell, are particularly adept at building tension without over-writing their narratives.
It Calls from the Forest Volume 2 is another excellent selection of short-form horror from Eerie River. The stories are a varied selection that deal with themes like love, obsession, mental illness, greed, redemption and death. There are also strong ecological vibes running throughout that tie the story to the modern push for greater respect for the environment and the realisation that resources are finite. Many of the tales express concern for nature and give agency to an otherwise passive recipient of human malice.
If you haven’t already gone exploring in Volume 1, it comes highly recommended. Volume 2 also has a lot to offer. -
“It Calls From The Forest: Volume Two”—Eerie River Publishing [3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️] This is the second book which includes a collection of 20 different short horror stories from different authors from around the world. I really enjoyed some of the stories that just included elements of horror that could actually occur and those really did creep me out. A lot of the stories I just couldn’t connect with and they weren’t for me. Overall this was a good book that paints a vivid picture of the evil lurking in the woods, and for fans of horror I would recommend checking this out. 💀*Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review*
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I love a good anthology book and this month is a perfect time to dive into one that deals with horror. There are so many stories to jump into and different authors/voices to experience. Serial killers, the supernatural and monsters – oh my! The variety and quality of this anthology is excellent. If you are looking to for a book to get you in the Halloween mood and give you a tingle down your spine, this book is for you. I enjoyed some of the stories so much that now I have a list of new authors to check out.
I want to thank Book Sirens for the e-ARC of this book. All reviews are honest, my own and left voluntarily. -
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Overall, it was ok. There were a few stories that were enticing to read and others I barely remembered as soon as I finished, but they were all well written and I think this series has a lot of interesting dives into the genre of horror overall and makes it a fun read for almost anyone since there are so many types of horror stories. -
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review. -
I had fun with this anthology. My favourites included Atchafalaya by A. S. MacKenzie, Spots by Ariana Ferrante, Between the Trees by Dustin Walker, The Valley of Shadows by Chris Hewitt, Moonshadow Monster by Gina Easton, and When Called by David Kenney.
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This book had some chills and thrills. I enjoyed most of the stories, but there were some errors in the editing that were distracting.
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Uneven quality and many typos.
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Quick and good read
This is a great anthology. The stories are quick reads. They're engaging and have a lot of atmosphere. There also isn't a really weak story in the mix. -
Frightful Forest Encounters
This compilation of stories had a plethora of otherworldly creatures. Some encounters are fatal. Venture into the unknown with these short stories which had me hooked. Love all the books from Eerie Publishing.
